Terminal operations See the light
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s certainly been the case over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, as airports around the world have worked to implement new technologies to address the new-found challenges that have arisen. The adoption of UVC light as a disinfectant has been taken up by a number of airport operators, looking for a way to best protect their staff and passengers from possible sources of infection. Nicholas Kenny speaks with Sami Kiiskinen, vice-president of airport development at Finavia, to learn more.
he Covid-19 pandemic brought many things to light, but key among them was the role that airports play as focal points not just for travel, but also for infection. With that in mind, airport operators are re-evaluating every aspect and touchpoint of their operations to ensure a clean, safe and healthy environment for both passengers and employees.
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This had led to the implementation of measures from social distancing procedures and enforced mask wearing, making hand sanitiser readily available, and also increasing deep cleaning across operations. And
for some airports, those deep cleaning procedures have been taken a step further, incorporating a new technology into the mix – ultraviolet light. Specifically, cleaning technologies are now using ultraviolet C (UVC), which is ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths between 200–290nm. UVC light technology can prove especially useful in areas with high footfall that require regular, fast decontamination. It’s already been used by hospital hygiene professionals for the past few years to rapidly decontaminate sluices, storage areas and waiting rooms.
The technology works by filling an area with UVC light, which breaks down the lipid outer layer of an organism, such as a coronavirus, and destroys the genetic material within it. In optimum settings, UVC technology can decontaminate spaces and reduce pathogens by up to 99.99%. Compared with manual cleaning, using UVC as part of an automated decontamination programme has proven far more efficient at eradicating viral pathogens, making it hugely beneficial in the wake of the pandemic.
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Future Airport /
www.futureairport.com
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